Numerical Prediction of Ride Comfort of Tracked Vehicle Equipped with Novel Flexible Road Wheels

Enhancing ride comfort has always constituted a crucial focus in the design and research of modern tracked vehicles,heavily reliant on the driving system's performance.While the road wheel is a key component of the driving system,traditional road wheels predominantly adopt a solid structure,exhibiting subpar adhesion performance and damping effects,thereby falling short of meeting the demands for high-speed,stable,and long-distance driving in tracked vehicles.Addressing this issue,this paper proposes a novel type of flexible road wheel(FRW)characterized by a catenary construction.The study investigates the ride comfort of tracked vehicles equipped with flexible road wheels by integrating finite element and vehicle dynamic.First,three-dimensional(3D)finite element(FE)models of both flexible and rigid road wheels are established,considering material and contact nonlinearities.These models are validated through a wheel radial loading test.Based on the validated FE model,the paper uncovers the relationship between load and radial deformation of the road wheel,forming the basis for a nonlinear mathematical model.Subsequently,a half-car model of a tracked vehicle with seven degrees of freedom is established using Newton's second law.A random road model,considering the track effect and employing white noise,is constructed.The study concludes by examining the ride comfort of tracked vehicles equipped with flexible and rigid road wheels under various speeds and road grades.The results demonstrate that,in comparison to the rigid road wheel(RRW),the flexible road wheel enhances the ride comfort of tracked vehicles on randomly uneven roads.This research provides a theoretical foundation for the implementation of flexible road wheels in tracked vehicles.

High-speed tracked vehicle model order reduction for static and dynamic simulations

In this paper, a model order reduction strategy is adopted for the static and dynamic behaviour simulation of a high-speed tracked vehicle. The total number of degree of freedom of the structure is condensed through a selection of interface degrees of freedom and significant global mode shapes, for an approximated description of vehicle dynamic behaviour. The methodology is implemented in a customised open-source software to reduce the computational efforts. The modelled tracked vehicle includes the sprung mass, the unsprung masses, connected by means of torsional bars, and all the track assemblies, composing the track chain. The proposed research activity presents a comprehensive investigation of the influence of the track chain, combined with longitudinal vehicle speed, on statics and vehicle dynamics, focusing on vertical dynamics. The vehicle response has been investigated both in frequency and time domain. In this last case road-wheel displacements are assumed as inputs for the model, under different working conditions, hence considering several road profiles with different amplitudes and characteristic excitation frequencies. Simulation results have proven a high fidelity in model order reduction approach and a significant contribution of the track chain in the global dynamic behaviour of the tracked vehicle.

Dynamic Simulation of Tracked Vehicle Using the DADS Software

The track model used in the dynamic analysis and design system software is investigated. A home made tank is taken as an example to illustrate the method for modeling an integral tracked vehicle and perform the dynamic simulation. The obtained results have demonstrated that the simulation method has the advantage of high efficiency, more convenience and more insight into the dynamical behavior of the system.

NONLINEAR ESTIMATION METHODS FOR AUTONOMOUS TRACKED VEHICLE WITH SLIP

In order to achieve precise,robust autonomous guidance and control of a tracked vehicle,a kinematic model with longitudinal and lateral slip is established,Four different nonlinear filters are used to estimate both state vector and time-varying parameter vector of the created model jointly.The first filter is the well-known extended Kalman filter.The second filter is an unscented version of the Kalman filter.The third one is a particle filter using the unscented Kalman filter to generate the importance proposal distribution.The last one is a novel and guaranteed filter that uses a linear set-membership estimator and can give an ellipsoid set in which the true state lies.The four different approaches have different complexities,behavior and advantages that are surveyed and compared.

A Study on the Dynamic Analysis of A Tracked Vehicle for Ocean Mining on the Deep Seabed

A study is presented on the dynamic analysis of a tracked vehicle for mining on the deep seabed of very soft soil. Equations for the interaction between the track and extremely soft seabed are employed to develop a track/soil interaction module called TVAS. The vehicle is modeled as a multibody dynamic system by the use of a multibody dynamic analysis program. The module developed is cooperated with the multibody dynamic analysis program with a user-defined subroutine. The dynamic behavior and the conceptual design of the mining vehicle on the deep seabed are investigated.

Study on Steering Control Strategy for High-Speed Tracked Vehicle with Hydrostatic Drive

Steering control strategy for high-speed tracked vehicle with hydrostatic drive is designed based on analyzing the fundamental steering theories of the hydrostatic drive tracked vehicle. The strategy is completed by the cooperation between integrated steering control unit and pump ＆ motor displacement controller. The steering simulation is conducted by using Simulink of Matlab. It is indicated that this steering control strategy can reduce the average vehicle speed automatically to achieve the driver＇s expected steering radius exactly in the case of en- suring not exceeding the system pressure threshold and no sideslip.

Configuration design and control of hybrid tracked vehicle with three planetary gear sets

The hybrid tracked vehicles(HTV)usually adopt series hybrid powertrain with extra steering mechanism,which has relatively low transmission efficiency and reduces the flexibility of structural arrangement.To overcome the disadvantages,a new kind of single-mode powertrain has been proposed.The power-split hybrid powertrain is composed of three planetary gear(PG)sets connected to one engine,left and right track outputs,and three motors.The proposed powertrain can realize steering while going forward by controlling the output torque on each side without extra steering mechanism or steering shaft.Due to the diversity of the connection way between components and planetary gear sets,a rapid configuration design approach is proposed for the design selection of HTV.The automated dynamic modelling method can show the one-to-one correspondence with the selected feasible groups by establishing two characteristic matrices,which is more simple than other researches.The analytically-based method is proposed to classify all possible connection designs into several groups to decrease the searching scope with improved design efficiency.Finally,the optimal control strategy is used to find the design with optimal fuel economy under typical condition of HTV.The case study is implemented by the proposed design approach which demonstrates better design performances compared with the existing series-hybrid HTV.

Neuron PI control for semi-active suspension system of tracked vehicle

A neuron proportion integration (PI) control strategy for semi-active suspension system of tracked vehicle was proposed based on its unique structure and the multiple and complex environment of the driving traffic. An adaptive genetic algorithm is used to optimize the parameters of the neuron PI controller. The simulation result of the neuron PI control for semi-active suspension system of tracked vehicle indicates that the vertical amplitude,pitch angle and vertical acceleration of the vehicle are well controlled. The root mean square (RMS) of the vertical amplitude decreases by 37.2%,and 45.2% for the pitch angle,38.6% for the vertical acceleration. The research of neuron PI control experiment for the semi-active suspension system of the tracked vehicle model mining in benthal indicates that the RMS of the weight acceleration vibrating along the vertical direction decreases by 29.5%,the power spectral density resonance peak of the acceleration of the car body decreases by 23.8%.

A smart calibration model on track's pressure-sinkage characteristic of a tracked vehicle moving on soft seabed sediments

The bentonite-water mixture was selected as the substitute of seabed sediments according to the in-situ measurement data of sediments 15-20 cm deep in China's ocean poly-metallic mining contract area and the soft seabed sediments could be simulated with certain proportion of the bentonite and water; besides, based on the theory on the interaction between the vehicle and ground and referenced to Bekker's apparatus and related experimental methods, a scenario on the experimental system of the pressure-sinkage characteristics of interaction between the track of tracked vehicle and soft seabed sediments was designed. The pressure-sinkage experiments were performed with different dimensions of penetration plates. The "pressure-sinkage" model based on Bekker's formula and correlation parameters were obtained to describe the corresponding characteristics of the seabed sediments and a smart calibration model on the pressure-sinkage characteristic of the track was established based on the function chain neural network, which could provide boundary loading conditions for simulation analysis of the tracked vehicle moving on the seabed.

Chassis tra fficability simulation and experiment of a LY1352JP forest tracked vehicle

Based on the analysis of complex terrains and current forest transportation equipment,a forest tracked vehicle prototype LY1352 JP was developed.The road model and the virtual prototype of the chassis were constructed using dynamic simulation software RecurDyn.The optimal tension of the vehicle as well as its capabilities for crossing trenches,climbing vertical walls,uphill and downhill slopes were simulated.The simulation results showed that the optimum tension force of the chassis of the vehicle was 63 kN(kilonewton),accounting for 45%of the total vehicle weight.The maximum trench crossing width and vertical obstacle climbing height were 1.35 m and 0.45 m,respectively.The maximum uphill and downhill angles were 50°and 45°,respectively.Tests on the prototype capacity for crossing trenches,and uphill and downhill driving were carried out.The test results were in agreement with the simulation results.A cross-country performance of a fire truck based on the tracked vehicle chassis was conducted in an old-growth forest.Tests verified that the vehicle has a strong forest trafficability performance and can meet the needs for forest transportation.

Simulation study on starting of dual clutch transmission for tracked vehicles

In order to study the application of dual clutch transmission （DCT） on tracked vehicles, a simulation moclel and two control methods were performed for starting analysis. Based on a certain transmission of an existing tracked vehicle, a DCT structure was proposed. Matlab/Simulink was a dopted as a platform to develop the simulation model. The engine speed was controlled to follow the target speed as a launch strategy. Two control methods, a proportional integral derivative （ PID ） control method and a fuzzy control method, were proposed to control the engine throttle and oil pressure in order to track the target engine speed. Simulation results show that either the PID control or fuzzy control method can improve the starting performance compared with no loop control meth od. Fuzzy control method can lead a better starting quality compared with PID control method.

Slip-Control Strategy of Dual Independent Electric Drive Tracked Vehicle

In order to improve the brake performance of a dual independent electric drive tracked vehicle,a dynamic model for braking situation was established.Then,a sliding model controller(SMC)with an auxiliary system was designed to control the slip and its effectiveness was proved.A hardware-in-loop simulation through MATLAB/XPC was compared with the normal SMC and normal integral sliding mode controller(ISMC),the results show that SMC with the auxiliary system has a better performance:a smaller overshoot and steady state error.The disturbance is suppressed effectively.In the initial speed of 65.km/h,the brake distance was shortened by 3.4%and 6.8%compared with the other two methods,respectively.Finally,initial speeds of 30-36.km/h tests was carried out on a flat soil road.Compared with a no-control brake,the displacement was shortened by 1.8.m.It demonstrates the effectiveness of the slip-control strategy.In the same situation,the error between the simulation and test is 18.1%,which validates the accuracy of models.

Nonlinear Derivative and Integral Sliding Control for Tracked Vehicle Steering with Hydrostatic Drive

In the steering process of tracked vehicle with hydrostatic drive,the motion and resistance states of the vehicle are always of uncertain and nonlinear characteristics,and these states may undergoe large-scale changes.Therefore,it is significant to enhance the steering stability of tracked vehicle with hydrostatic drive to meet the need of future battlefield.In this paper,a sliding mode control algorithm is proposed and applied to achieve desired yaw rates.The speed controller and the yaw rate controller are designed through the kinematics and dynamics analysis.In addition,the nonlinear derivative and integral sliding mode control algorithm is designed,which is supposed to efficiently reduce the integration saturation and the disturbances from the unsmooth road surfaces through a conditional integrator approach.Moreover,it improves the response speed of the system and reduces the chattering by the derivative controller.The hydrostatic tracked vehicle module is modeled with a multi-body dynamic software RecurDyn and the steering control strategy module is modeled by MATLAB/Simulink.The co-simulation results of the whole model show that the control strategy can improve the vehicle steering response speed and also ensure a smooth control output with small chattering and strong robustness.

Track Tension Analysis of Four-Wheel Drive Tracked Vehicles

The distribution of track tension on track link is complex when the tracked vehicles run at a high speed.A multi-drive track link structure,which changes the traditional induction wheel into the driving wheel was proposed.The mathematical model of the system was established and the distribution of track tension was studied.The combined simulation model of RecurDyn and Simulink of the structure with multi-drive track was established.The simulation results show that our proposed structure has more uniform tension distribution than traditional structures,especially under the high speed condition.The maximum tension can be reduced by 28 kN-36 kN and the transmission efficiency can be improved by10%-16% under high speed condition with this new structure.

Dynamic Characteristics of Tracked Vehicle Power Train Considering Road Random Torsional Excitation

The road random torsional excitation is one type of torque rooted from the road roughness and vehicle drive system. This paper aims to study how the road random torsional excitation affects the dynamic characteristics of vehicle power train. The method of simulating the random torsional excitation of tracked vehicle is explored at first. Secondly,the road random torsional excitations under different road roughness,vehicle speeds and pre-tensions are obtained. Thirdly,the dynamic analysis model of tracked vehicle power train is constructed with the consideration of the road random torsional excitation. Eventually,the influences of this excitation on output torque,bearing support force,vibration acceleration and dynamic shear stress of transmission shafts are intensively studied.The research conclusions are helpful to correct and refine the present virtual prototype of tracked vehicle power train.

Fuzzy Logic Control for Suspension Systems of Tracked Vehicles

A scheme of fuzzy logic control for the suspension system of a tracked vehicle is presented. A mechanical model for the whole body of a tracked vehicle, which is totally a fifteen-degree-of-freedom system, is established. The model includes the vertical motion, the pitch motion as well as the roll motion of the tracked vehicle. In contrast to most previous studies, the coupling effect among the vertical, the pitch and the roll motions of the suspension system of a tracked vehicle is considered simultaneously. The simulation of fuzzy logic control under road surface with random excitation shows that the acceleration, pitch angle and roll angle of suspension system can be efficiently controlled.

Simulation of Steering Performance for Electric Drive Tracked Vehicle

According to the analysis of the fundamental steering theories of the electric drive tracked vehicle, a new effective electric drive tracked vehicle model is built in this paper. And the simulation of the steering performance of the vehicle is made. The results show that the electric transmission has great advantage on the steering performance aspect; the small radius steering and even the pivot steering is realizable, and the agility and the rapidness is wonderful. The regenerative energy can be fully utilized by controlling.

Dynamic Motion Resistance for Tracked Vehicle

Based on previous achievements,a dynamic pressure-sinkage equation for saturated clay is established.First,aquasi-static penetration rate is selected,and the ratio of the dynamic penetration rate to the quasi-static rate is used to characterize the degree of dynamic effect,then theβth power of the ratio is used to quantify the dynamic effect of sinkage.The dynamic effect exponentβis obtained using penetration tests with different penetration rates.Then,a dynamic motion resistance equation for a tracked vehicle is established based on the dynamic pressure-sinkage equation.The equation incorporates both penetration and bulldozing resistance.Finally,a series of simulation experiments with varying travel speeds and slip rates is carried out.The results show that an increase in the speed leads to stronger terrain stiffness,resulting in a decrease in sinkage and motion resistance.However,the enhancement effect becomes weaker with an increase in the travel speed.

Control strategy for hybrid tracked vehicles using fuzzy logic

To solve the problem of power distribution for hybrid tracked vehicles （HTV）, a supervi- sory control strategy is proposed. Firstly, power system integration is analyzed and modeled. Then the control algorithm is given. Two fuzzy logics are used to realize the coordination control over each power unit. One controls power distribution based on the load power and battery state of charge （SOC）. The other manage the power during regenerating braking. To validate the presented control strategy, a ＂driver and controller＂ in the loop simulation platform is built based on dSPACE system and real-time simulation is made. The simulation results show that the strategy presented can solve the power distribution problem of hybrid tracked vehicles correctly and effectively.

Modeling and Kinematics Simulation of Hydro-mechanical Split Path Steering Device of Tracked Vehicle Based on CATIA

Based on the working principle of hydro-mechanical split path of tracked vehicle, a operating gear was developed which was controlled by steering wheel and match with transmission case. Then CATIA software was used to build the three-dimensional model and carry out dynamic simulation of the mechanism. The result indicates that the design of the mechanism fulfills the request.